


Newer Danganronpa V3: Harmony of the Dead

by GFHDStudios



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Blank Slate, Canon-Typical Violence, Changed Story, Gen, Good use of characters, Murder, New plot, Out of Character, Redemption, Rewrite, and prime minister of Japan plot, removal of some character plots, such as incest plot because it's really bad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-15 17:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19300384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GFHDStudios/pseuds/GFHDStudios
Summary: Those few words spoke more than a series of novels would ever be capable of.Kidnapped and in a foreign environment, Kaede Akamatsu finds herself in an overgrown school with a terrified boy named Shuichi Saihara. Exploration reveals that they aren't alone and that they've forgotten more than they'd imagined when confronted by fourteen other students and a familiar monochrome bear. With a few words, the students remember everything and are sent into a whirl of emotions.Then darkness.---Waking to the sound of panicked banging, Kaede Akamatsu, Ultimate Pianist, and Shuichi Saihara, Ultimate Detective are rudely awoken to the fact they've been forced into what their captor calls, "A Killing Game." Who will survive? Will Hope triumph over Despair? Or will they all go out in a blaze of glory? As Monokuma said, "Let's Get this Show on the Road!"





	1. Pre-Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is both a work of fiction and a reimagining of what Danganronpa V3 could have been.  
> I do not own Danganronpa and all rights go to the creators Spike Chunsoft.

Darkness. At first, there was nothing but that. Then, the image of a girl appeared. 

_Kaede Akamatsu_ the voice said, _it's nice to finally meet you._ Once materialized, everything paused. It was as if the world sucked in on itself and sprang anew, held up by the thought of eternal slumber. A cold, eternal slumber supported by a rough exterior.

_This… feels like metal._ A voice rang out in the darkness. _Is it… a locker?_

Suddenly, as if someone had flicked a switch, she stirred. Stepping out of the locker provided a splash of color. All around her were desks. Old looking, rotting desks covered in vines. A jungle of moss and overgrown vines littered the room, of what looks like a class. But this classroom locked as if it had not been touched in years.

"… Huh?" Kaede said as stumbled out of the locker. "Where am I?"

As she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she took bearings of her surroundings. The foliage seemed to span out forever, taking up every nook and cranny available. Kaede felt like she was exploring a long forgotten temple, left to rot, only for nosy teenagers such as herself to stumble across. Was that how she got here? Had she stumbled across this ancient landmark and passed out? 

_No that can't be true. The last thing I did yesterday was go to bed. IN my bed._ she reasoned. _That cain't be true… then how did I get here-_

_BANG_

Kaede's musings were cut short by the sound of a fist hitting against metal.

_BANG BANG_

Her mind was sent into a flurry of thoughts. She half hoped it was her mom banging on her bedroom door to remind her she slept in and was late for school again. But the reasonable part of her brain said otherwise. What could it be? Thoughts, like cars, came rushing through her highway of a brain. Was it a murderer? Or a tiny animal? What if it was a big animal? A murderous animal? A murderous, big, bloodthirsty animal?

"Ah!"

Out stumbled a boy wearing a plain set of clothes, jeans, a tee, and a hat that covered his eyes. He quickly got up and began mumbling to himself, looking around as if he dropped something. The boy scanned the area until his eyes landed on Kaede, all the color draining from his face. Kaede braced for whatever attack was to come. Instead, the boy grabbed the locker door and hid behind it, pointing at Kaede as if she was a convicted criminal. 

"You! Wh-who are you?" The boy said. "Why am I here? Where did you take me?"

"Hey! Shut it, you're giving me a headache," Kaede spat, "I'm just as confused as you are."

To this the boy recoiled a bit, as a caged animal would. Kaede planed her next move accordingly.

"Here, I'll tell you my name. I'm Kaede Akamatsu. It's nice to meet you!" She said.

"…" The boy seemed to think for a second before slinking out from behind the door. "Shuichi Saihara. H-how can I trust you?"

Kaede thought for a second. How could she explain that she's trustworthy?

"Frankly, I'm not." Shuichi took a step back, "but! But, but, but! That doesn't mean you shouldn’t trust me. You seem smart so I think we both can agree that we're all each other has at this moment."

"…" Shuichi thought for a moment before he sighed. Readjusting his hat Shuichi said, "Y-you're right."

Kaede silently thanked whatever god there was out there that Shuichi didn't up and suplex her out of fear.

"Listen, Kaede was it?" Kaede made a sound of agreement, "I don't trust you and you don't trust me, but like you said we're alone right now. I'll stick with you but the second you show any sign of hostility to me or my person, I will run."

"Heard you loud and clear." Kaede agreed.

"Right…" Shuichi said, "I g-guess we should look for an exit."

"Exit huh? Well, there's a door over there by the chalkboard."

"Chalkboard? Are we in a classroom?"

"Apparently," Kaede mused, "Not sure why though."

"If there's a classroom, it has to be a school then." 

"A classroom in a school, who would've guessed." She teased.

"Keep that up and I'll leave. You do realize the gravity of the situation we're in right?" He said with a hint of annoyance. "T-this isn't a laughing matter."

"Situation? This all seems like a harmless prank." Kaede assured.

"No, it has to be more than that… this is too elaborate and thought out. No memory, stuck in a locker, abandoned building, and even" he stomped over to the door by the chalkboard " a locked room."

"Locked?" Kaede said before gripping and successfully opening the door, much to her and Shuichi's surprise.

"Wha-" Shuichi began.

"Not so locked huh Sherlock?" Kaede taunted.

Shuichi seemed to recoil from that response, panic settling across his features. This struck a chord somewhere within Kaede. The fear Shuichi showed seemed so familiar.

_No… he can't be. Is her really-_

"Ahem" Shuichi cleared his throat, broken out from his stupor. "W-we should probably move on before someone comes back.

"Ah, you're right" the thought left Kaede's train of thought "We should get going before the big bad captors come back, right?"

"Big bad captors, huh?" A voice taunted from the ceiling. "Is that really what you think of me Kaede? I feel sooooo insulted!"

As if a tube had drained the two of their blood, Kaede and Shuichi went paler than a ghost. Without thinking, they bolted out of the classroom into what seemed like a hallway. Through the mass of greenery, the two went, down a set of stairs and were met with a fork. Kaede pondered where to go but in her panic missed Shuichi dash to her left. Her body stumbled back into motion and followed him, taking a quick right, then left, through the door, slowly losing Shuichi, another right, he's farther away, straight down a hallway, losing ground, right again, and then she was alone. Stopping for a moment's breath, Kaede gulped in air like a beached whale. Once she caught her breath she carefully made her way to the corner where, on inspection, led to a door. Seeing as Shuichi was nowhere to be found, that had to be where he went. The large, double doors intimidated Kaede, seemingly telling her to give up, and submit to whatever that voice was.

_Why was I run running from that voice again?_ Kaede pondered in self-pity.

Swallowing her fears, Kaede pushed on the double doors and... was met with fourteen unfamiliar faces staring back at her.

"Ah, another one." A long-haired boy in the back said.

"Judging by the jeans and a sleeveless top, she's definitely a girl." A blue-haired girl stated.

"Obviously, Einstein. What are you, a loser?" 

" Gonta no think you two should argue."

"Aww… but Gonta-kun!"

"Ignore him, he's just stirring up trouble." A short, angry looking boy said.

Kaede looked around at these faces. From the large, beefy man apparently named Gonta to the small, shorter man. Then to the blue-haired girl and a shorter girl with a red bowl-cut. They all seemed uncomfortable and worried. Then a green haired boy stepped out wearing rings, mascara, and three layers of loose clothing.

"Lock that door will you?" He said, pointing to Kaede.

"Me? Why?" Kaede asked.

"Just do it if you know what's good for you." He said with a cool expression on his face.

"Are you threatening me?" accused Kaede.

"Threatening? No, no, of course not." The boy said. "I'm just… concerned."

"Concerned about what?" a spiky-haired boy asked.

"Well, we've all heard a voice, am I correct?"

"Ah, y-yeah! I heard it and then ran here! I don't run that much so I had to take a few breaks…" The red, bowl hair-cut girl said.

"And it was the same for everyone here, right?" the green haired boy continued.

A wave of silent nods answered his question.

"I figured as much." He mused. "And we all have no idea how we got here, am I correct?"

Once again, a chorus of nods, but less sure, ensued. The boy sighed.

"I know something about myself and if I'm correct then you all do as well. We should and do know why we're here."

To this, the group's response was less similar to that of telling a coastal city a tsunami is coming.

"Listen," Kaede spoke up, more jittery than before, "I don't know what you're implying but if you think we're going to listen to you then-"

"We should believe him." A voice interrupted Kaede, revealing itself to be Shuichi "There's sixteen of us here, and f-from what I can gather-"

"Oh you have some nerve" Kaede interjected, full of sass, "to tell me to listen to him" she gestured angrily to the green haired boy "after ditching me for dead?"

"Now, now you two, there's no need to argue-" the boy tried to reason.

" _I_ w-was running for my life." Shuichi argued back, stuttering in the process. "We b-both agreed to ditch each other if needed."

"Alright, that seems a little-"

"We _never_ said that!" Kaede argued back, towering over him.

"Hey, would you two listen-"

"You n-never said we couldn't split up!" Shuichi shot back as he cowered under Kaede.

"Hey! Stop arguing before-"

"Upupu… sorry to interrupt the lover's quarrel but I think it's time to get this show on the road!"

Kaede's hair stood up on end at the sound that interrupted the green haired boy and their arguing.

"T-there it is! There's the voice!" a girl with long, spiraling, black, hair said.

"Yes! Yes, I am here!" The voice echoed through the room.

A familiar feeling of dread turned Kaede's blood to pure lead. She felt weighed down as if a twenty-pound dumbbell was dropped on her shoulders.

"Ahem! Now that you're all here and _quiet_ I think it's time to explain what's happening." The voice said.

"Fucking finally!" A jittery voice rang out.

"Quiet blondie!" The voice spat, causing the girl who spoke to recoil, "as I was saying, I sadly have to explain that there's been a mix-up. Normally, you all would be too normal to be here. Plus, you shouldn't have woken up this early either! Teens these days… so impatient. But, if you could, step a bit as I need a liiiiiiitle more wiggle room."

The sound of awkwardly shuffling feet filled the room. Kaede found herself up against the wall, er, not the wall, but the wall of flesh of the panicked looking man named Gonta.

"Yep! That's about good." The voice pipped in as the ceiling opened and large shipping crate fell from the ceiling. "If you all could open the wardrobe box and change into your assigned clothes that'd be dandy!"

"Assigned clothes?" Somebody asked.

Kaede took the first step and walked up to the large crate, hesitantly putting her foot through the entrance as if there were a trap. Inside, there were rows of clothing racks on each side. As she went deeper into the box searching for her nametag, the others followed. The clothes were very distinct, made as if they wanted the wearers to stand out. Something Kaede didn't like to do. A long, pillowy black dress with a spider web design stood out to her, followed by a pink, jagged skirt and matching… bondage straps?

"Ew…" Kaede shuttered. _I pity the poor soul who got that._

After the… the strapped pink suit was a cute little uniform with pointed boots and a witch hat. 

"Odd…" she said, picking up and trying on the hat. Childish glee grew in her heart, shoving away the fear that surrounded her. Looking to the next one she saw… her name tag. Putting the hat back on the rack, she grabbed at the garb and saw a plain white button up, pink sweater vest, tie, a cute white backpack, thigh socks, and a skirt with…

"…"

Kaede stopped dead in her tracks. 

She was a deer caught in headlights. 

She knew why she was there. 

She knew what was going to happen. 

She knew she had to escape. 

She knew she had to get out of there. 

But the voice rang out quicker than she could move.

"Upupu! I think the message is finally getting across to all of you. Well, I'm so very sorry but I think it's time to sleep! It's time for the killing game to begin!"

And with that, she blacked out.


	2. Prologue: Hello Ultimates! Part 1

Darkness. At first, there was nothing but that. Then, the image of a girl appeared. 

_Kaede Akamatsu_ the voice said, _it's nice to finally meet you._ Once materialized, everything paused. It was as if the world sucked in on itself and sprang anew, held up by the thought of eternal slumber. A cold, eternal slumber supported by a rough exterior.

_This… feels like wood._ A voice rang out in the darkness. _Is it… a desk?_

Suddenly, as if someone had flicked a switch, she stirred. Raising her head from the desk provided a splash of color. All around her were more desks. Old looking, rotting desks covered in vines. A jungle of moss and overgrown vines littered the room, of what looks like a class. But this classroom locked as if it had not been touched in years.

"… Huh?" Kaede said as stumbled out of the locker. "Where am I?"

As she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she took bearings of her surroundings. The foliage seemed to span out forever, taking up every nook and cranny available. Kaede felt like she was exploring a long forgotten temple, left to rot, only for nosy teenagers such as herself to stumble across. Was that how she got here? Had she stumbled across this ancient landmark and passed out? 

_No that can't be true. The last thing I did yesterday was go to bed. IN my bed._ she reasoned. _That can't be true… then how did I get here-_

_BANG_

Kaede's musings were cut short by the sound of a fist hitting against metal.

_BANG BANG_

Her mind was sent into a flurry of thoughts. She half hoped it was her mom banging on her bedroom door to remind her she slept in and was late for school again. But the reasonable part of her brain said otherwise. What could it be? Thoughts, like cars, came rushing through her highway of a brain. Was it a murderer? Or a tiny animal? What if it was a big animal? A murderous animal? A murderous, big, bloodthirsty animal?

"Ah!"

Out stumbled a boy wearing what seemed to be a striped uniform and a hat that covered his eyes. He quickly got up and began mumbling to himself, looking around as if he dropped something. The boy scanned the area until his eyes landed on Kaede, all the color draining from his face. Kaede braced for whatever attack was to come. Instead, the boy grabbed the locker door and hid behind it, pointing at Kaede as if she was a convicted criminal. 

"You! Wh-who are you?" The boy said. "Why am I here? Where did you take me?"

"Hey! Shut it, you're giving me a headache," Kaede spat, "I'm just as confused as you are."

To this, the boy recoiled a bit, as a caged animal would. Kaede planed her next move accordingly.

"Here, I'll tell you my name. I'm Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. It's nice to meet you!" She said.

"…" The boy seemed to think for a second before slinking out from behind the door. "Shuichi Sahara. The Ultimate Detective."

"Well Shuichi, it's nice to meet you!"

"Y-yeah… it's nice to meet you too…"

"…"

"…"

We fell into an awkward silence, not entirely sure what to say.

"D-do… do you know what's happening? W-where we are?" A barely audible squeak came from Shuichi's mouth.

"Quite frankly, no." She thought for a second. "Am I worried? Also no."

"Oh… why is that?" 

_Hmm… why aren't I worried?_

Without hesitation, Kaede answered, "Because there's no need."

Sensing Shuichi's confusion, she continued.

"I mean, we're here for a reason, right? Why else would we be fully dressed-"

It hit. The sharp pain jolted her senses, causing her to stumble. _What was that…? A-a memory?_ The visage of a very similar looking blonde girl holding her favorite pink skirt. Fear was visible on the girl's face, striking similarities to the paleness of a ghost. _This… girl… she's scared. Why does she have my dress, is that me?_ Her thoughts marathoned through her head so fast she barely registered that Shuichi was trying to get her attention.

"K-Kaede?"

"Kaede!"

"KAEDE!"

"Huh?" Faced with a concerned, a frankly sweaty, Shuichi, Kaede realized she was staring off.

"Kaede, a-are you okay?" concern laced with fear was evident in his voice.

"Oh… yeah," shaking the memory from her mind, "I'm good. I just got… distracted is all."

"A-ah… okay."

"…"

"…"

Another uncomfortable silence fell on the two. A loud sigh broke the tension. Exhausted from confusion, Kaede sat on the nearest desk with a huff. _Why am I here…_ she thought, _What was that memory?_ Her thoughts consumed her, capturing her mind in a vortex of emotions.

"H-hey… Kaede?"

"Hmm?" Happy to be broken from her thoughts, she locked eyes with the boy.

"You uh… your shirt has an emblem on it. I-I'm guessing from your old school, right?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah, why do you ask?" she answered, sitting up with newly found vigor.

"W-well… I was wondering if your school told you about any sort of… vacation or something…"

"Well… if I can think…" she trailed off, attempting to remember any sort of invite, or initiation, or ceremony, but nothing clicked. "No, nothing. My last day of school was just as regular as ever."

"Ah…" Shuichi's gaze faltered.

"I'm guessing it's the same for you, right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah…" He stuttered, "I don't remember anything besides receiving my invitation letter to Hope's Peak."

Kaede snapped her fingers, "That's what this is!"

Shuichi jumped in his seat, "I-it is? What do you mean?"

"This is some elaborate welcoming ceremony! It makes sense now!"

"It does?"

"Yeah! Hope's Peak is known for crazy welcoming ceremonies. Class 73 was ushered into the school on skis."

"H-how is that possible?"

Kaede waved her hand, "It's not important. But what is important is that we're late for the introduction!"

Like a rabbit, Kaede hopped out of the seat and bounded towards the door of the classroom. 

"H-hey!" Shuichi yelled, being pulled by the excited girl. She pushed on the door and ran out into the hallway-

"Oof!"

Kaede ran into something. No, somebody. Said somebody was standing up… and they looked angry. 

_Oh no…_

"Hey, watch where you're going." The girl said.

"A-ah… so sorry." Kaede mumbled as she stood up.

"My apologies ma'am… it was a t-total accident." Kaede heard Shuichi stutter.

"Whatever." Crossing her arms with an indignant look. Kaede took a second to scan the girl and noticed that she was wearing a school uniform.

"Hey! You must be one of the Ultimates here, right?" 

"Why should I tell you?" She challenged with a very threatening raise of her brows.

"Because I'm also an Ultimate! Here I'll introduce myself first." Kaede straightened her posture and brushed some dust off her skirt, "I'm Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. It's nice to meet you!"

"Hmm." The girl looked completely unimpressed.

"And this is Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective!"

"H-hi!" Shuichi stuttered out with a pathetic little wave.

"…"

"Maki Harukawa. I'm the Ultimate Child Caregiver." Maki said.

"Oh my gosh! You're so cute, I knew you would be good with kids." Kaede said, enthusiastic with every word. To this, Maki sneered.

"I don't like kids. They're gross and need a lot." She replied.

"Oh, but the kids must l-like you, right?" Shuichi said.

"Sigh… yes, they do. Ever since I was young, kids have always gravitated towards me." She threw a thoughtful glance out the window, "Even if I come off as cold, they always come back."

"Wow… you m-must have a strong understanding of kids then."

"Not really," Maki stated. "I can just tolerate them better than most."

"Tolerate?" Shuichi asked.

Maki huffed. "Sigh… I mean I know how to handle them."

"Oh, like burping them and stuff, right?" Kaede questioned.

"No, idiot. I'm a _child_ caregiver, not a baby caregiver."

"So… like six-year-olds, right?" 

"Sure."

"W-well, older kids must be easier to deal with, r-right?"

"As I said, older kids just gravitate towards me."

"Oh… I get it." Kaede said with a playful tone.

Maki turned her head to shot a calculating look at Kaede, "What?"

"You're in denial." She teased. To this, Maki blinked. "I think you reeeeeeeeally like helping the kids and wanna keep up this 'cool girl' persona."

"…" Maki's expression went cold.

"A-and I think this is our cue to leave. It was nice meeting you Maki." Shuichi said as he pulled Kaede away from what probably would've been her final conversation. Once far enough away that Maki could no longer ominously scowl from a distance at them, Shuichi turned to Kaede.

"W-what was that!?" 

"What? I asked her a question and she overreacted." Kaede said, oblivious to Shuichi's panic.

"Th-that's… not how you go about asking questions." 

"Ugh!" Feigning offense, she put a hand on her chest, "Are you saying I'm bad at conversations Shuichi?"

"W-what? No, I'm just saying that-"

Kaede began to walk towards a blue-haired girl standing by a dragon statue. "Here, I'll show you I'm competent."

"K-Kaede!"

The two approached the girl as Kaede said, "Hello! How are you?"

"…"

The girl made no sign of hearing what Kaede said.

"Hello? Are you there?"

"…"

Once again, nothing.

Kaede then waved a hand in front of the girl's face. "Helloooooo? Earth to weirdooooo?"

"Kaede! D-don't call her that!"

"What? She's not responding."

"That doesn't mean you should insult her!"

"Hmm…" Kaede began to reach her hand out to poke the girl.

"W-what are you doing!?"

"She's like a statue!" Ignoring his disbelief, Kaede continued to move her finger closer. Inches away, getting closer and closer and closer and then… her finger connected with soft skin.

"Ahh!" The girl jumped back, flinging her arms back, surprising Kaede. "W-what was that for?"

"Oh, you can talk! Hello!"

"Kaede!" Shuichi scolded. "I'm so sorry ma'am. She was just trying to get your attention I promise."

"Oh no that's quite alright. You just scared me that's all." The blue-haired girl said. She turned to Kaede, "Hello there!"

"Hi!" She responded with a joyful wave. "Nice to finally meet you, uh… what's your name?"

"Oh! Silly me. My name is Tsumugi Shirogane, the Ultimate Cosplayer. It's nice to meet you!" Tsumugi said.

"I'm Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist," Kaede said with a mile-wide grin. "And this worrisome mess is Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective."

"H-hi there…"

"A detective! Oh-hoh-hoh, have you solved any mysterious crimes where the love-torn fool kills out of undying infatuation? Or! Or! One with a hidden identity!?" Tsumugi exclaimed.

Shuichi shamefully pulled his hat over his eyes. "Ah… n-no… I've only solved one crime."

"Oh. That's… disappointing." Tsumugi said. Shuichi, somehow, seemed to deflate more than he already was. Tsumugi was quick to change her tone. "O-oh but that's okay! It leaves room for growth."

"Y-yeah… I guess."

Tsumugi seemed really regretful over Shuichi's dampened mood, but Kaede was quick to change the subject. 

"You said you're the Ultimate cosplayer right?" She questioned. "You seem pretty… uh…"

"Bland?" Tsumugi interjected.

"Yeah! No offense."

She waved her hand, "None taken. Most overlook me as I really am plain."

"But that must change when you put on your cosplay outfits, right?"

"Oh heavens no! I never wear my cosplay outfits."

"Huh? Why's that?" Kaede questioned.

Tsumugi puffed out her chest. "Because cosplaying has become mainstream and everyone is doing it wrong nowadays! I make outfits for those who need guidance."

"Oh, that's very thoughtful of you!"

Tsumugi then struck a very dramatic pose. "Thank you! I like to think of myself as the Caped Crusader, making this world a better place one outfit at a time!"

Laughing, Kaede said, "That's very silly."

"Thank you… I think."

"No problem, Tsumugi." Kaede said, "Hey, while I have your attention, why were you staring at that statue like that earlier?"

Tsumugi points to the dragon statue. "You mean this one?" With a nod from Kaede, she continues. "I don't know really… It just seems out of place."

"H-how so…" Shuichi's small voice pipes up from behind his hat.

"O-oh… well, we're in a school, right? From the decour or lack thereof, this dragon just… stands out to me."

"Hmm…" Kaede said, "Who knows."

"I guess you're right. It's probably not important." Tsumugi said, waving it off. "Well, it was fun getting to know you two."

Kaede began to lead Shuichi away. "Same here, Tsumugi. Talk to you later!"

"Oh!" Tsumugi shouted out, as they walked away. "You said you're the Ultimate Pianist, right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Kaede yelled back.

"Over there, that door leads to a piano room. The one with a piano on it."

Kaede visibly brightened at the mention of this. "Really?"

"Yeah! It's right over there."

"Thank you so much Tsumugi! I'm gonna go check it out right now!" Kaede dashed away, Shuichi at her heels. "See you!"

True enough to her word, there was a door there with a piano symbol on it. Without hesitation or protest from Shuichi, Kaede entered the room. Warm, beige walls welcomed her in. The windows filtered in silky, bright light and brought her eyes to the main attraction of the room: The grand piano.

"Gasp!" Kaede's jaw dropped to the floor. Her mind blanked for a moment as fond memories rushed in. As if the keys were calling to her, Kaede floated over to the piano and sat on the bench, feeling the cushions. She let her fingers roam the keys, exploring the nooks and crannies of the old player. Hitting middle c elicited a sound that ran like silk through her bones. Kaede had never felt this at home before.

"I-I'm guessing you like this piano," Shuichi said, awkwardly standing by the entrance of the room.

"Oh my gosh yes!" Kaede exclaimed, her arms thrown to the wind letting the moment sink it. "This is a _Bösendorfer_ piano."

"Oh… yay?" Shuichi said, not really sure what to make of her statement.

"Um, 'yay' is an understatement. These are _luxury_ pianos. The best of the best, originating from Austria in 1828. The sound quality is _amazing_."

Shuichi awkwardly shuffled his feet. "O-oh… okay."

With a huff, Kaede moved over and patted the spot next to her on the seat. A fire-truck red blush grew on Shuichi's cheeks.

"O-oh n-no… th-that's okay."

With a groan, Kaede stood up and led Shuichi over to the bench, plopping him down and taking a seat next to him. Still being still as a board, Kaede grabbed his hands, eliciting a squeak of embarrassment from Shuichi, and led his fingers to the keys.

"Here, I'll teach you some notes, okay?" Shuichi nodded. "Okay, this here is middle 'c.'"

Shuichi pressed lightly on the key. The piano sang its note, radiating off the walls.

"Good! Next, here's the 'd' key." As the piano let out a slightly higher hum, Shuichi began to relax. With guidance from Kaede, Shuichi was taught all the keys up to the next 'c.' The two silently practiced playing the scale, Shuichi making many mistakes.

"I-I don't understand how you do that s-so well," Shuichi admitted. "It's so difficult."

"Many things in life are difficult, Shuichi, you just need to practice!" Kaede said, not missing a single note.

"Well, you m-must've had years to practice it by now." 

"Obviously. I started all the way back when I was a young baby." Kaede began to reminisce. "My parents gave me one of those baby pianos with the colorful keys and before they knew it, I was practically a baby Mozart."

Shuichi smiled and stopped pressing the keys, allowing Kaede to tell her story, uninterrupted.

"From then on I grew and learned more. Hell, I knew how to play one of Mozart's Symphonies before I knew how to walk!"

Shuichi gaped. "N-no way."

"Yes, way. I was a prodigy from the start." Kaede pridefully said. 

"Then the baby Mozart line wasn't really a joke."

Kaede chuckled, pressing her fingers over the 'f' key as she swayed to the beat. "No, I guess not. Time passed, I continued to study, practice, go to competitions, and earn trophy after trophy."

"That's really impressive…" Shuichi trailed off.

"Chuckle… I've been told. Soon, Hope's Peak recognized my talent and gave me a scholarship and… well, that led me to where I am right now."

"Wow… it's amazing to be near someone as talented as you…" Shuichi said, slumping over.

"Hey! I don't wanna hear that, Shuichi. You're an Ultimate too. Just because you've only solved one case doesn't mean you're not any less of an Ultimate than I am." 

Shuichi looked his somber eyes up. "You mean it?"

"Definitely! Now get back to those scales!" Kaede said with a firm slap on Shuichi's back.

"H-hey!"


End file.
